Summary
The knowledge of the function, types, distributions, and plasticity of afferent neurites innervating temporomandibular joint (TMJ) tissues is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms controlling the development of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) pain. The objective of this proposal is to address this critical gap in knowledge by comprehensively elucidating the functions, types, neuroanatomical distributions, and plasticity of trigeminal (TG) neurons innervating the muscles, tendons, and fascia of the masseter (MM) and lateral pterygoid (LPM) muscles, as well as the cartilage, joi
